


Perfect

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-08
Updated: 2009-02-08
Packaged: 2019-01-19 15:44:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12413145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: [Fic Exchange '08] "Fine, just checking to see that this tree is…as good as it’ll get." "Don’t you worry, it’s a lovely tree."





	Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

The first time James Potter was taken to a Christmas party that wasn't hosted by adults for adults—and their well-behaved children—it had been his fourth year. A fifth-year girl had thought that he was something to look at, and she took him to a _Prefect_ -hosted event. The tree at that party was themed, with silver and blue ornaments; a poster saying "Silver Bells" in swirling silver glitter hung across the classroom-turned-party, and Frank Sinatra crooned the song over an old wireless.

He had a nice enough time, kissing two girls under the mistletoe while his date was getting punch, and almost kissing a girl named Lily Evans. She was there with some fellow named Aubrey, and he was off playing cards with some friends of his, presumably getting drunk. She was wandering around, punch in her hand and eyes trailing on the floor, and she accidentally ran into him, dripping slight drops of punch onto his navy blue sweater.

"Sorry," she mumbled, looking up into his eyes. They stood in awkward silence until he cleared his throat.

"So, who're you here with?" she asked dimly, almost not expecting an answer.

"Florence Delphina," he answered with a slight grin. "She went off to get some punch or something, but I think she was side tracked."

"Oh." She peered around the half-lit room, waiting for something to happen. "I'm here with Bertram Aubrey. He asked me as a last resort, I think, because he's chatting with Mary Macdonald over there." She pointed, and his hands clenched slightly.

"That's not very fair, eh? He asked you, after all."

"Yes, but...I don't mind all that much. I think I'm going to be named Prefect next year, so it's not like there will be plenty of other horribly boring parties to attend." She continued her observation around the room until she had seen everything in the area except for the ceilings. There were sweethearts in the corners, kissing under "mistletoe" that they claimed to have sighted; she looked around for it, then saw the piece floating above their own heads.

"It seems we have a problem."

"I know. This is so..."

"Christmas-like? Miracle-ish? Much like every dream I've had?"

"Corny," she finished. "Not that...one of those could be a good replacement. I mean, who on earth has mistletoe at a school party?"

He inched closer to her, and she backed away, until she was right next to the glowing blue and silver tree. "They won't stop playing this blasted song," he whispered. "It's driving me crazy."

He pulled away and looked over to the wireless and to the only inch of his date he could see—she was between two people's bodies.

"How about we save this until more amiable conditions are around us? I'm not so interested in what's happening now."

She gaped for a second, her mouth opening and closing once before she turned on her heel and walked away. "If there is ever a time that mistletoe comes into play, along with you and me, I'll give you the kiss of a lifetime," she called back, waving a hand lightly.

\--

Fifth year was a special tree, in his mind, because it was the last tree he and his mum decorated together. She was definitely sick; her face was pale, and she had a hard time standing up by herself. He had taken her in a sled—which he insisted on dragging for her like she was his younger sister and not _his mother_ —and chopping down a real tree. He picks the biggest, fullest one he can find, and chops it down himself, while his mum watched, making remarks about Paul Bunyan, whoever that was.

They decorate it in Gryffindor red and gold, while she insists on putting the family angel on the top. "Every tree needs someone to guard it."

"Mum, that's ridiculous." He left the angel on top, either way. He secretly liked it up there, with its curled yellow yarn-hair and see-through wings. It—she?—made him think of being younger, when his mum would make chocolates while his dad would decorate the tree. Now, father Potter was at St. Mungo's trying to heal all of the victims of the attack that had happened at a Muggle shopping area.

When he was getting back onto the train, he saw Lily and beckoned her over. She saw his mother standing there and a flash of pity came over her eyes. "Mum, this is Lily."

"Hello, Mrs. Potter." She shook her hand and then boarded the train.

"I'm going to marry that girl," he whispered into his mum's ear as they embraced. "Love you, Mum."

\--

The next Christmas, he and his dad travelled to New York City, going to fancy Muggle restaurants, seeing plays and trying to ignore the dull ache in their hearts.

That year was bittersweet for both of them, James wishing he could be stronger for his father and not want to just lie down in his bed every cold night and remember that the last thing he said to his mum was that he was going to marry Lily Evans. He had to work harder when he got back to Hogwarts. He couldn't have let it be a lying last phrase.

 

_December 24, 1975_

_Dear James,_

_How are you? I hear you're in New York City, from Sirius, and I'm jealous! It's beautiful there; I've seen photographs and paintings._

_I'm so sorry about your mum. Sirius, Remus, Peter and I were drinking late into the night (it's about 3 in the morning here. I hope this doesn't wake you up!), and Peter let it slip that Christmas was your mum's favorite holiday. It's mine too, I love how it_ smells _. Remember that Prefect party we went to two years ago? That place just smelled like chocolate and flowers—not Christmas-y at all!_

_Speaking of that party, I haven't kissed you yet! I want to be kissing you right now, in fact. I've been thinking about kissing you for weeks and weeks. Since Hallowe'en, when you helped that buggering little third year after he had spilled potatoes and gravy all over himself. How lovely were you that night? I swear you were going to kiss me that day, but when we got close you just hugged me and told me you liked my costume._

_What do your lips taste like?_

_Love, Lily_

 

\--

It was a rather lonely type of Christmas, he mused, the kind he imagined Tiny Tim having after everyone else dies. Yes, his crutch was there, and he now had new friends and family around, but the memories of everything else weighed down on his mind.

Not everything was bad for James. He was the Head Boy at the most famous wizarding school in the world, he had best friends who would give anything to keep him safe, a girl he thought he could finally get under the mistletoe for a kiss she promised him three years ago, and his father was alive and—while it was a stressful time for him—happier than the year before. But he could feel the emptiness in his heart, the feeling of his own brain saying, 'What now?'

He was impatient? Lonely? Stupid? Boring? Yes. Boring.

He was become the most boring thing he imagines he could be, and he was disgusted with himself. The image that he wished everyone could see was almost the complete opposite of what he felt they saw.

There was a chill as the portrait hole opened, two girls stumbling in through it. They were speaking in hushed giggles and the loudest whispers he had ever heard.

"But she was talking—"

"And she had no idea we were there! She—"

"No, I simply won't believe it! They're lyin—"

"Shhhh!"

He slowly turned his head to see two girls (Third years? Fourth? It was all so hard to tell nowadays), one pointing at him with wide eyes, both giggling and snickering into their hands. They hurried to the stairwell and he heard their feet slam on the cold stone until the door to their room slammed shut.

"Merry Christmas!"

Sirius Black carried a fresh-looking, shrunken pine in his hand, Remus behind him with many large bags of ornaments. James stood up and transfigured the old book they decided to use into a tree stand and resized the tree. The smell of newly-found tree filled the room; it seemed to magically waft through all of Gryffindor Tower.

"Well, gents, let's begin."

They had begun a Marauder tradition of decorating a tree in a different part of a castle for the 3 days before Christmas. The trees were, more often than not, frazzled-looking with too much tinsel and too many ornaments, but they always tried to have one that looked good. One that looked _really_ good, because James was always certain that that year would be the year he'd get his kiss. The one they were going to put in their common room was the most over-the-top, ridiculously-decorated tree they could make. They were going to put it right in the corner of the room, so that there would be 'private viewing areas' in which Sirius can snog girls...

By the time the tree was finished, people had filtered in to drop things off and out to dinner. The four boys worked straight through anything that on any other day would have been important, just to make sure that this tree was the best tree. It needed to have all the elements that made everyone else's trees spectacular. James was pretty sure not a pine needle could be seen under all the tinsel, ornaments, candy canes, nonflammable candles, popcorn, cranberries and bows.

"Well, lads, it looks like our work here is done. Shall we check on the other ones?"

"Yeah, Pete and I will go check out the one near the kitchens," Remus said, remembering the glittering white-encrusted tree hidden in a corner on the bottom floor.

"I'll check out the one near Ravenclaw," Sirius said, James assuming that a young lady was probably waiting for the older Black near the brightly lit tree on the west side of the castle.

"That leaves the one on the fifth floor." This was James' least favorite tree, as it was only covered in nonflammable candles, floating very, very close to the tree. The evergreen itself was bare, the green needles shining enough that it almost looked like millions of tiny, shining green lights were had been on the tree.

\--

James was walking toward the tree when he saw Lily Evans leaning on the wall across from it. Her arms were folded, head cocked to the side, a smile on her face.

"Hey Lily." She slowly turned to face him, the smile cracking to a half-mischievous look.

"James, how're you?" she asked him, pushing her foot against the wall and propelling forward.

"Fine, just checking to see that this tree is...as good as it'll get."

"Don't you worry, it's a lovely tree."

"It's not lovely. It's plain and boring. I wish I had met you at the tree near the Ravenclaw common room. That one is the perfect Christmas tree."

"The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect!"

"This one isn't." He nudged his head towards the tree. "See how boring it is? Only lights! Nothing else at all."

"What are you talking about, James?"

"Just see, it's plain. We let Sirius pick this one's theme, and he said he wanted it to be old-time class." She inched closer to him, and placed a hand on his wrist.

"There are actually more decorations."

"Did Sirius sneak something in?"

"No, look," she pointed right above the tree, to where (instead of a tree topper) a piece of mistletoe was placed.  

James' eyes froze on the small white berries, drew a shaky breath, and drew his eyes down to meet hers. Slipping hands from wrists to interlock fingers, he pulled her tightly against him and pressed his mouth to hers before she could deny him anything.

After a few divine moments, she pulled away and grinned. "See, you have perfect Christmas trees."


End file.
